Feeding mechanism for carpet-sewing machines



PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

. J. WITTBMANN. I FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CARPET SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION IILBD FEB. 2. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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- No. 749,249. r I PATENTEDJAN.12,1904.

J. WITTEMANN. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CARPET SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1903.

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U NITED STATES- Patented January 12, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WITTEMANN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CARPET-SEWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,249, dated Januaryj1f2,1 90 4.

2 Application filed February 2, 19031 SerialNo. 141,428. (No model.)

To all whom it vnay concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VVITTEMANN, residing at Milwaukee,in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feeding Mechanism for Carpet-Sewing Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The object of myinvention is to provide improved means for taking hold of two breadths of carpet when properly laid one upon the other and stretching and holding them in a taut position and in such position feeding them to and past a sewing-machine of common construction having a vertically-reciprocating needle employed to sew the breadths of carpet together.

The apparatus maybe employed to properly hold and feed other material than carpet; but it has been devised for and employed especially in sewing carpets.

The invention consists of the apparatus, its parts, and combinations of parts, as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents the reof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevai tion of my improved apparatus, parts being broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my improved apparatus, parts of which are broken away, shown in connection with asewing-maohine and motor in outline anda fragment of carpet in dotted lines to illustrate the use'of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end viewof the apparatus, parts being shown in section to illustrate details of the construction, the actuating-weight, the sewing-machine, and the motor being omitted. Fig. 4 'is an under side- Fig. 6 is a detail of 'a clamping demust first be observed to cause the figures or designs of the carpet to properly match each other'a't the edges of the breadths, and when this result has been obtained the edges of the breadths ofthe carpet that are to be sewed together must be held in secure and taut condition and then fed to the sewing-machine that is employed in sewing the breadths together. My improved apparatus is adapted to enable the operator to conveniently and properly arrange theedges of the breadths of the carpet with reference -to each other, to then seize or take hold of them and stretch them to such extent as to put them in a proper taut condition, and to then hold and carry the carpet in flat horizontal position and at a proper speed and'in a suitable manner to feed the breadths of the carpet to the machine for sewing' the breadths together. i

In the drawings, 1 represents a frame or fixed structure on which the movable and operative parts of my apparatus are mounted. This frame is provided with two parallel tracks 2 2, advisably constructed of T-rail, secured to the two longitudinal edges of the frame. Acarriage 3, supported and adapted to travel on the tracks 2 2, consists advisably of an elongated frame about one-half as long as the supporting-frame 1. 1 preferably .make the frame 1 about twenty-four feet long and the carriage 3 about twelve feet long. At the two sides of the carriage and near each end legs 4, fixed to the carriage, extenddownwardly therefromnear the tracks 2 2, and these legs are provided with supporting grooved wheels 5 5, that travel on the tracks 2 2, and with wheels 6 6, that travel on and bear against the under edges of the tracks 2 2. Between these legs 4 4:, near the ends of the carriage, other intermediate legs 7 7, provided with grooved supporting-wheels 8 8, traveling on the tracks2 2, are alsoemployedin such numbers'as is found desirable. .As ameans for conveniently feeding this;.carriage forward on over pulleys 1-1 11, fixed at asuflicient height to allow the weight to have a drop adequate to its work, and thence on pulleys 12 and 13, mounted on the frame 1, and therefrom to the carriage, to which it is attached at 14, being near the end of the carriage that is distant from the pulley 13 on the frame. By this means the weight 9 is adapted when the carriage is in the position shown in Fig. 1 to automatically move it toward the left, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

On the carriage 3 I provide stretching-bars 15 15, one at each end of the carriage, which bars are disposed transversely of the carriage and are secured thereto adjustably endwise, the bars being longer than the width of the carriage conveniently by being passed through clips or bands 16, fixed on the carriage, and in which clips the bars fit tightly but movably endwise. By this construction these stretcherbars can be placed in the positions relative to the carriage shown in Fig. 2 or can be withdrawn to such extent as is desired from projecting at one side of the carriage to such extent as shown in Fig. 2. On one of these bars 15 a clamp 17 is mounted, the clamp being advisably of the form shown in Fig. 6, found in the market. This clamp is of a desirable construction to properly seize and hold breadths of carpet and by reason of its toggle-joint action is sufliciently powerful to securely hold the breadths of carpet. On the other stretcher-bar 15 I employa little windless 18, provided with a ratchet-wheel and pawl on which a stretching-cord 19 winds, this cord having a clamp 17 attached to its free end. In use these two clamps 17 are adapted to seize breadths of carpet near their edges, as indicated in Fig. 2, where the carpet C is indicated in dotted lines. When the breadths of carpet are secured in proper relations to each other in the clamp 17, the edges of the breadths are properly stretched by ro tating the windless 18. The carriage, with the carpet resting thereon, is then started in its movement past the sewing-machine and is fed thereto by the action of the weight 9.

A sewing-machine 20 is mounted on the adjustable platform 21, and a motor 22 for driving the sewing-machine is also convienently mounted on the same platform. The platform 21 is movable on ways therefor toward and from the carriage 3 on ways therefor on a frame 23 auxiliary to the frame 1. A screw 24, rotatable but non-movable endwise in the frame 23, turns by its thread through a lug on the platform 21 and is adapted for adjusting the platform and the sewing-machine thereon toward and from the carriage 3.

In connection with the sewing-machine and located immediately in front of its presser-foot and needle I employ a device for inturning the nap or pile of the carpet in such manner that i the pile or nap when the two breadths are sewed together will all be on the upper or face a little distance above the top surface of the platform 21 or of the bed of the sewing-machine, which plate is provided with a rotatable wheel 26, having a medially-disposed annular smooth beveled rib 27. This plate is secured adjustably in position by a thumbscrew 28 through a slot in the plate and turning into the supporting bed or platform underneath. This device is so disposed that when the breadths of the carpet C C pass it immediately before coming to the needle the wheel rides along on the edges of the carpet and the rib 27 serves to push in or inturn the pile or nap on the carpet, so that when the breadths of the carpet are separated and turned out flat after being sewed together the pile or nap will all appear in proper condition on the face of the carpet.

The frame 1, with its tracks 2 2 and the carriage 3 thereon, is so constructed and disposed with reference to the sewing-machine 20 that the top surface of the carriage is actually or substantially in the same horizontal plane with the surface of the platform or bed 21 of the sewing-machine, and the carriage is thus adapted to hold the carpet flat thereon, and so to carry it past the sewing-machine that the edges of the breadths of carpet to be sewed together are presented in alinement and at proper speed by the traveling carriage to the vertically-reciprocating needle of the sewing-machine. The improved carpet holding and feeding mechanism is therfore adapted for holding and feeding carpet (for being sewed together) to an ordinary sewing-machine, such as is in common use.

Where power is convenient for the purpose, a rack 29, as shown in Fig. 7, may be placed on the carriage, and the carriage can then be reciprocated by means of a power-driven pinion 30 instead of by means of a weight 9, as shown in other figures of the drawings.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a carpet holding and feeding apparatus, a horizontally-disposed track, a carriage reciprocable on the track, said carriage having a flat top adapted to hold spread-out breadths of carpet thereon, bars on the carriage projecting horizontally outwardly from the carriage near the respective ends thereof, means on the bars near their projecting ends adapted to seize and hold the edges of the spread-out breadths of carpet, and means adapted to move the carriage on the track in one direction.

2. In a carpet holding and feeding apparatus, a horizontally-disposed track, a carriage reciprocable on the track said carriagehaving a flat top adapted to hold spread-out breadths 'of carpet thereon, bars on the carriage projecting horizontally outwardly from the carriage and near the respective ends thereof, means on the bars near their projecting ends adapted to seize and hold the edges of the spread-out breadths of the carpet, means adapted to move the carriage on the track in one direction, and means in connection with said carpet-seizing means adapted to stretch the spread-out breadths of carpet along the line of their overlapping and alining edges.

3. In a carpet holding and feeding apparatus, a horizontally-disposed track, a carriage above the track and provided with wheels traveling on the track, bars mounted on and projecting horizontally at on one side from the carriage forming an overhanging support for spread-out carpet on and at one side of the carriage, and bearing-Wheels mounted on the carriage and running on the under side of the track adapted to hold the carriage to the track against overthrow.

4:. In apparatus for holding and feeding carpet to a sewing-machine, a horizontally-disposed track, a carriage having a flat carpetholding top traveling on the track and held thereto against overthrow by bearing-wheels, stretcher-bars on the carriage projecting laterally therefrom at one side beyond the track in the plane of the carpet-holding top, means mounted on the projecting ends of the bars. 

